Home · Sports · Sep 6 archive
Bell starts Chase with victory at Darlington
Developing
In Short: Christopher Bell secured his first victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at Darlington Raceway, breaking a nearly yearlong winless streak in the opening race of the Chase.
Christopher Bell finally broke through Sunday night at Darlington Raceway, winning the Cook Out Southern 500 and ending a nearly yearlong Cup Series winless streak in the opening race of NASCAR’s 10-race Chase.
Bell held off JGR teammate Ty Gibbs, who finished second, with Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, and Ryan Preece completing the top 10.
Bell’s seven runner-up finishes weren’t simply a strange statistical footnote. Four of Bell’s seven second-place finishes came during a five-race stretch.
Only days before Darlington, Bell was even more direct about what needed to change if he wanted to contend for the Cup Series championship.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- “Certainly, all of the second-place finishes — they’re trying, and, in the moment, it really kind of feels like just a kick to the gut,” Bell said in August.
- Bell started 11th after rain washed out Saturday’s Cup Series practice and qualifying, forcing NASCAR to set the field by its performance metric.
- Here is the complete finishing order from Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway: Your email address will not be published.
- Christopher Bell spent nearly the entire 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season getting painfully close to Victory Lane.
Sources
- MotorBiscuitlink